Sunday, May 25, 2014

Making My Peace with the N-Word

By Len Lawson

As an English professor, every year I offer my students an
argumentative essay based on the topic, "Should the n-word be used in
today's society?" This comes from Gloria Naylor's essay, "Mommy, What
Does Nigger Mean?" In the essay, the author describes how hearing
the word used toward her in elementary school by a white student transformed
her understanding of race in America.
In the classroom, discussions on both sides of the argument among my students
have been intense, visceral, and down right incendiary. Each year a student
will ask, "Mr. Lawson, what is your opinion on the issue?" I always
reserve my opinion to keep the sides moderate.

As a black man, I have had the n-word used around me by
white people--once as Naylor did in elementary school at a cafeteria table
surrounded by white students and several times in a relationship used against
me to get me to retaliate (unsuccessfully). Between these two instances, I have
known that the word meant nothing good for any black person, and I never used
it. However, the onslaught of hip hop music in our society presented an
astounding blacklash against the word's origin. Although many African Americans
use it as a term of endearment, I never enjoyed hearing it because I always associated
it with something negative regardless of its intention.

As a writer, I have struggled with the perception of using
this word in poetry and fiction. I have come to the conclusion that in order
for characters to remain authentic, in many cases the n-word cannot be taken
out of the mouths of characters who would use it in reality. The integrity of
the characters will be maintained and not compromised. Moreover, the fiction
will resonate with readers if they are fully acquainted with what type of characters--perhaps
even narrators--use the n-word in their speech.

I realize some may say that I am hereby giving people a
license to use such language in their writing and even in their own speech.
However, as illustrated above, no one needs my permission to use the derogatory
term. Our society has already indicted some of its own precious characters for
using the word. Nonetheless, regardless of its efforts, our culture cannot
contain the parent that uses the n-word around his children and even teaches
them to use it. Our culture cannot stop anyone else bold enough to utter the
word from grabbing it with his fist and hurling it with hate at anyone who
happens to be his target. We can all see this in movies as well. If we didn't
care for the n-word, then why did we not see anyone boycotting such films as 12
Years a Slave, Django Unchained, Roots, and others for its
use?

In conclusion, authenticity remains a valid excuse for
writers of any race to use the word. However, each individual must search his
own soul before penning the n-word on paper before seeing it in print beneath a
cover with his name on the front. The word itself is history, yet as a society,
we simply cannot seem to keep its sensual, polarizing, forbidden fruit out of
our mouths in the present. Therefore, we leave the debate to be reconciled by
subsequent generations. As for me, when I see the word or even write it, all I
see is hate--never love--and perhaps never peace.

6 comments:

Len - During the "relationship," when someone was trying to get you to retaliate, why was that person unsuccessful? That is the real question. When I was very young, I tried to use another word as a weapon. I was unsuccessful and learned something.

" I have known that the word meant nothing good for any black person, and I never used it. "

That's a powerful sentence Len. This is a great, great blog, and I intend to share it.

As far as authenticity, I experienced a challenge from my creative writing teacher in college. In those days, I did not cuss. Period. That was my choice. In my class, I had written something with the term, "house of ill repute" avoiding the obvious phrase. My professor went nuts, and I had to agree with him. "Marion, it's a whore house. A whore house. You've got to use the right word if you are going to be a writer." That was a good lesson.

Great post, Len. I have been struggling with this issue in a story I'm writing, and your thoughts have helped immensely. I abhor the word, was raised to never use it, but in order to accurately capture a certain time and eliminate of our history, there seems no other word that works for those particular characters. Thanks for your insights.

I think some time ago the NAACP had a burial/funeral for the N-word. It is amazing how the word catches on like a phoenix and arises from the ashes and breathes unhealthy life into the conversation. Like Len said, the word means nothing good for any black person--and white and brown....

CONTACT US

For more information about the Columbia II Writers' Workshop, a chapter of the South Carolina Writers' Workshop, contact Ginny Padgett at ginnypadgett@att.net.

CALENDAR

Workshop - Monday, August 3 at 5:30

Workshop - Monday, August 17 at 5:30

Workshop - Monday, September 7 at 5:30

Workshop - Monday, September 21 at 5:30

WHO WE ARE

We are a diverse group of people who work in diverse genres. Our group embraces all levels of writers. We're a chapter of South Carolina Writers' Workshopwww.myscww.org and comply with the organization's by-laws. We are grateful to Turning Pages, Greater Columbia Literacy Councilfor providing us meeting space.

HOW WE WORKSHOP

Bring about 12 copies of the work you want critiqued -- stories, poems, nonfiction (or come just to listen and critique).

Keep prose to 6 pages double-spaced,12 pt. type; up to 2 poems.

Read your work out loud.

Listen silently while members of the group make comments, ask questions, offer critique, mark up copies of your work.

After everyone's critique, you can answer the questions and ask some of your own.

Everyone hands you back their marked up copies.

It's up to you to decide which, if any, suggestions or revisions you adopt.

Visitors are welcome. Just show up and find an empty seat.

We ask that on your first visit you not read, but you are invited to fully participate in e very other way.

JOIN US

We meet in the offices ofGreater Columbia Literacy Councilin the lower level of